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old George B.
Chedked, by Luaius Dille
Hietorian 410 N. Are.
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Redfield Georgia B. 1/28/37 words
Comanche Tvuliane On Chisum Cattle -Trail
(In own words of Sallie Chisum Roberts Inn)
(Lucius Dills -Roswell Historian.)
"In 1867 John S. Chisum brought his first herd of
"Jingle Bob" cattle acroee the plains and through the
buffalo hunting territory of the hostile nomadic Comanche
Indians.
Scout riders, were sent ahead by the trail -blazers
to protect the herd from the TTOians who were numerous
in the lower -reeon Valley with aftbor the extermination
of the buffalo during the years 1877-78. The "Jingle Bobs"
were brought over safely and placed on grazing lands around
headeuarters established at Bosque Grande thirty-five miles
northeast of Ttoswell, on the :Cocos River. A younger
brother litser M. Chisum was placed in charge."
In 1932 the writer of this article was OMR of the
"Old Timers" who rode in the Old Timers parade in
Roswell. Mrs. Sallie Chiuum Roberts riding a side-saddle
and wearing her long old fashioned riding habit was an
interesting and outstanding figure of that parade.
On this day, at the end of "The Trail" Mrs. Roberts
told again the story, we all loved to hear, of her
experienoes on the journey and after arrival in the }coos
Valley, and the first night spent on the Chisum Ranch.
"It was fifty-five years ago, this next December 24th.
192, since I arrived in the I-ecos Valle", sq...d Mrs. Roberts.
We went to Uncle Johns Chiuum's ranch five,
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Redfield. George George B. 1/28/37 words
miles —)uth of here. Uncle John was known as the
"Cattle King" of the west but that had no effect on our
equilibrium.
%lily Uncle John never married. My father (James Chisum)
n my two brothers" (Walter and William) "and I left home in
Texas and traveled through the open country expecting Indians
attacks at any time. Y:e had three wagons, a hack and our
saddle horses. Ve spent one month on the read. e had packed
all the fruit trees flowers and shrubbery we could in the
wagons, and they were the begimling of the first i'ecos Valley
orohards and flowers," 3ome of the plants from thole old
fashioned roses brought over the plains 4 3allie Chisum
still flourish and bloom on the Redfield place 705 E. Col-
lege Boulevard in Roswell.
Our last night on the trail we spent edi the 1. M.
Gilbert ranch on the Penasoo River", said Mrs. Roberts.
Six cow boys had been sent by Uncle John to meet
us at Hersehead Croseing to act as bodygaurds, and protect
our stook from Indian attack. At night. The first night we
spent at the Chisum ranch, we were all tired out. e put
our stock in the fenced in lot, locked the gate and all
hands went to bed and slept soundly. The next morning we
were amazed to find the stock all gone, and the gate still
locked. The Indians," (Comanches) "had lifted the gate from
it's iron pilleote removed all our stook replaced the gate
very carefully and had completely disappeared, leaving only
thier tracks to tell the tale. Vde could not tell how many
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Indians were in the milting. They got twenty-five
horses and mules. I was heartsick for we had left our
home at Denton Texas to get away from Indlawa• 'Cheer uo
xllie, the worst Is yet to comet said my f other.
I know he was right when I first maw Loswell. There
was only one residence called alhotel/ and one store which
coned. the Post Office, These two builAillgs had been
built in 1069 by Van C. Asith and Aaron 0. tllburn an
the block west of whore the Court House stands at the
present time. 41 jiPn the post offiee was stationed here
with Van 1;mith appointed as postmaster. He named the town
Leswell for his father 10 swell smith of Omaha Nebraska.
There were six little trees trying to grow on the west
side of the main road. On the east side there were a few
houses some made of adobe and some of just mud, sticks,
and gunny sacks. It was a oheerless looking WOW* and
I said to Brother '-alter. /This is the Jumping off
place 1 want to go back home./ The request of his sister
to return to her home in Denton Texas wan repeated to
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this writer in 19401 by Walter Chisum as we walked through
his beautiful orchard near the old Chisum anoh at
south:,prin. It is needless to say the Chisums stayed
in the :Lecos Valley and they are responsible for
mum' of the beauty spots in and around ::oowell which
have caused this distriot to be called, he oasis
In The Desert.